Article made from animal intestines



E. c. HOOVER ET AL ARTICLE MADE FROM ANIMAL INTESTINES F le y 2'7, 1924 WWYWB Fig. 3;

[/berf 5. Hoover 9 mm C. Ham/e Horucv,

Patented Dec. 9,1924.

UNITED STATES ELBEBTC. HOOVER AND IRWIN C, HOOVER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PATENT oi-"Fics.

ARTICLE MADE FROM ANIMAL INTESIINES.

- Application flied May 27, 1924., Serial No. 716,156.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it 'known that ELBERT C. Hoover and IRWIN C. Hoovnn, citizens of the United and useful Improvements in Articles Made from Animal Intestines,of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to articles made H from the ut or intestine of animals, and more partlcularly to strings or cords made therefrom. i

An object of our invention is to make a gut string or cord for use in tennis rackets, music instruments, surgical sutures, looms and thelike. 1

f (A. further object of our invention is to form strin s or cords composed of gut, together wit other materials, which will be stronger, lighter and less expensively manufactured than has been possible heretofore. Heretofore it has been customary to use animal intestines for stringing. tennis rackets, music instruments, etc. The animal intestines after being suitably treated are "twisted together to o'rin a string or cord the-number of intestines; used being dependenton the size of string or cord desired; After the initial' treatment'and the twisting together of the intestines to form the string or cord, it is a sin treated with collodian, varnish or the li 'e with the endeavor of making the twisted structure waterproof.

It has been found, however, that even afandwhich will be far stronger than strings.

at made from gut alone.

.In' the accompanying drawings:

Figural illustrates a longitudinal cross section of an animal intestine with a fibrous" thread "laid loosely therein;

Fig. 2 a cross section on the line 0-0 of 1,;showing a pl'uralit of the intestines id iJOflGlZhBL-Wlfih the brous threads ter waterproofing, moisture will 'afiect the intestines and. cause them to break. This therein, prior to twisting them into a unitary structure; 7

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section of our improvedstranded cord or string after the plurality of intestines with their correspond- 1ng threads have been-twisted together;

Flg. 4 is a plan View of a modification showing a plurality of split intestines and fibrous threads laid together before twisting them into a cord; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the modification of our'invention, wherein a number of split intestines A to ether with a. plurality of fibrous. threads have been twisted together'to. form a cord.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be noted that the letter A denotes a single intestine and B its corres onding thread. D denotes the stranded structure formed after the requirednumber of intestines A and threadslB have been twisted together.

In the process of manufacture, after the intestines A' have been cleaned, the fibrous threads B are placed in them b meansof abobbin or other suitable three in means. The threads are preferably compose of silk, but other fibrous materials, such as henip,

cotton or linen, inform'of a thread, may

be used.

When the intestines have had the fibrous depending on the size of the cord desired,

are twisted tightly together to form a treated to harden the same and suitably doped or waterproofed.

Preferably, though not necwsarily, the fibrous threads are loosely placed in the intestines. If the fibrous threads are laid loosely in the intestines before twisting, it has been found that after the complete cord is put into use, as in a tennis racket, and

the cord is stretched, the intestines give slightly, but if this stretchin iscontmued the slack in the fibrous threa s is taken up and-instead of the intestines breaking the threads become taut and relieve the straw on the intestines.

Thus, it will be seen that the addition of the. fibrousfthreads-placed in animal intestines when-making up a t string, permits the natural resiliency of e gut to come into,

stranded string or cord. The cord is then a play, but strengthens the intestines and prevents their breaking.

. It will be understood that the fibrous threads may be inserted in all or a fraction of the total number of intestines used in making up the stranded cord.

By the use of the intestines together with the fibrous threads, we are able to make up the desired diameter of cord with a less number of intestines than is now required.

In Fig. l, we have shown a modification of our invention wherein split intestines A, that is -intestines which have been cut longitudinall are laid together with fibrous threads B", and Fig. 5 illustrates the stranded cord formed after twisting the split intestines A. and B.

Stranded cords composed of split gut, as customarily made, are stronger than whole gut strings,.because they contain a greater number of strands. Whole gut strings, however, are more resilient.

In the preferred embodiment of our invention, we use a. plurality of whole intestines with fibrous threads placed in any or all of them and secure the reater resiliency of the whole gut cord with greater strength than the split ut cord by reason a of the reinforcing threa s.

Another advantage our string possesses is the fact that we arev able to turn out a superior product by using salted or otherwise preserved intestines. best grades of gut strings have to be made from fresh intestines. have been ke t or preserved any length of time are used: the manufactured strings do not hold up under wear and are noticeably afiected by moisture.

We are able to use intestines which have been ke t or preserved for some length of time and by reinforcing them, according to our inventlon, are able to manufacture a At present, the.

If intestines which a I naregsea string better than is now produced when the best fresh gut is employed.

What we claim and desire to cover by Letters latent is:

1. A stranded cord comprising a plurality of animal intestines twisted together, said intestines having threads of fibrous material contained therein.

'2. A stranded string comprising a lurality of animal intestines twisted toget 161", said intestines having threads of fibrous ma terial loosely contained therein.

3; A. stranded string comprising a pinrality of animal intestines twisted together, said intestines having threads of silk passing therethrough.

4s. A stranded cord comprising a plurality of animal intestines twisted together, a portion of said intestines having fibrous threads contained therein.

5. A stranded cord comprising a plurals ity of animal intestines and fibrous threads twisted together.

ti. The method of making a stranded cord which consists in inserting a thread of fibrous material within an animal intestine and then twisting several of said threaded intestines into a unitary cord.

7. The method of melting a stranded cord which consists in inserting a thread of fibrous material loosely within an animal intestine and then twisting several of said threaded intestines into a unitary cord.

8. The method of making a stranded cord which consists in inserting a thread or silk within an animal intestine, and then twisting several of said threaded intestines into a unitary cord.

In testimony whereof we ailir our signatures.

ELBERT C. HOUVER. llRWllt U. l-lOtD VEll.

till 

